The mitral valve controls blood flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle of the heart, preventing blood from flowing backwards from the left ventricle into the left atrium so that it is instead forced through the aortic valve for delivery of oxygenated blood throughout the body. A properly functioning mitral valve opens and closes to enable blood flow in one direction. However, in some circumstances the mitral valve is unable to close properly, allowing blood to regurgitate back into the atrium. Such regurgitation can result in shortness of breath, fatigue, heart arrhythmias, and even heart failure.
Mitral valve regurgitation has several causes. Functional mitral valve regurgitation (FMR) is characterized by structurally normal mitral valve leaflets that are nevertheless unable to properly coapt with one another and close properly due to other structural deformations of surrounding heart structures. Other causes of mitral valve regurgitation are related to defects of the mitral valve leaflets, mitral valve annulus, or other mitral valve tissues. In some circumstances, mitral valve regurgitation is a result of endocarditis, blunt chest trauma, rheumatic fever, Marfan syndrome, carcinoid syndrome, or congenital defects to the structure of the heart. Other cardiac valves, in particular the tricuspid valve, can similarly fail to properly close, resulting in undesirable regurgitation.
Heart valve regurgitation is often treated by replacing the faulty valve with a replacement valve implant or by repairing the valve through an interventional procedure. One method for repairing the regurgitant mitral valve is by delivering and deploying an interventional clip at the heart valve. Typically, the clip is deployed so as to grip the anterior and posterior leaflets of the valve. The clip thereby functions to bring the gripped leaflets closer to one another to reduce the space through which regurgitant flows can pass so that the valve can more effectively close. However, difficulties can arise related to positioning and deployment of the clip device. Often, it is difficult to properly grasp the targeted leaflets with the clip device. In particular, the leaflets of a regurgitant mitral valve are typically already malformed or overly spaced from one another, making it difficult to manipulate the clip device so as to properly grasp and maintain hold of both leaflets.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.